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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · fine · bear · wax · scale · present · last · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. last — finally
  3. present — the time now
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. lean — to bend
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bear — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fine — all right
  24. racket — for tennis

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