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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a line of people
  3. swing — to play on
  4. file — a document
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. season — in sport
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. swing — music

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