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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 116 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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. shower — to wash
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spell — a short time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. spell — magic
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pass — a permit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. spell — letters

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