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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — in sport
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. season — of the year
  10. clip — a video
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. clip — to cut
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — for spectators

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