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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mate — a friend
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stand — to bear
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. scale — in music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to click
  11. mate — to breed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. branch — a division
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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