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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fork — in a road
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cell — a phone
  9. swing — music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wax — to grow
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. swing — to play on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fork — to eat with

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