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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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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: wax · cabinet · lean · scale · race · shower · kick · pit

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — size or range
  3. race — a contest
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. race — humankind
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. race — the arms race
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. shower — rain
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wax — to grow
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lean — thin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kick — in football

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