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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pound — a weight
  3. scale — in music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wax — to grow
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. toast — bread
  11. scale — size or range
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rest — a break
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lean — thin
  24. cue — a hint

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