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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 120 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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. scale — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. scale — size or range
  7. object — a thing
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. object — to protest
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — to be able to
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. object — an aim
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — the tool

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