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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 124 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. last — to go on
  5. row — a line
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. swing — to play on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. last — final
  11. pit — in a race
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wax — to grow
  15. scale — in music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — a hole
  18. last — finally
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. row — a quarrel

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