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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. shower — rain
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. season — of the year
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. shower — to wash

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