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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. can — a tin
  5. pass — a permit
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. court — of law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. swing — music
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. court — of a king
  20. can — to be able to
  21. court — for sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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