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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. scale — size or range
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. key — in music
  19. scale — in music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fan — to cool the air

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