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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pop — soda
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pop — to visit
  9. scale — size or range
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — to grow
  17. object — a thing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — an aim
  20. scale — in music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. object — to protest

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