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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. roll — a list
  7. scale — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — of water
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. object — an aim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — electric
  21. object — to protest
  22. scale — size or range
  23. roll — a cake
  24. object — a thing

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