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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fine — all right
  7. wax — to grow
  8. clip — a video
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. clip — for paper
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com