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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. season — in sport
  5. swing — to play on
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. season — of the year
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pop — soda
  10. root — the cause
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. root — of a word
  24. wax — to grow

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