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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — a tin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. can — a tin
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — to cool the air

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