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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — a division
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pop — soda
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. roll — a list
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. pop — music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pop — to visit

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