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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. court — of law
  7. object — to protest
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. object — a thing
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — to grow
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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