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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. file — a document
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — to grow
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — clever
  14. file — a tool
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. file — a line of people
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — for sculpting

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