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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. land — to come down
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pass — a permit
  8. craft — boats
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. land — a country
  12. fine — all right
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — ground
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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