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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. scale — in music
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. file — a document
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — the cause
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rest — what's left
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. root — of a word
  24. scale — size or range

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