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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 120 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fine — high quality
  10. current — electric
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. object — to protest
  13. fine — all right
  14. current — of water
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. root — the cause
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. root — of a word
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. object — a thing
  24. wax — to grow

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