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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wax — to grow
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — a path
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. drill — a practice

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