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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. scale — in music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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