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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. date — the fruit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lean — to bend
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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