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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. march — the month
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fine — all right
  8. last — finally
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. last — final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rock — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. last — to go on
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — high quality
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. hide — animal skin

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