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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fine — all right
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. root — of a word
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — of a plant
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. scale — in music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — a break
  16. root — the cause
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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