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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. shower — to wash
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. swing — in golf
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. swing — to play on
  11. band — a music group
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. swing — music
  14. band — a ring
  15. fine — all right
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. deal — to handle
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wax — to grow
  23. shower — rain
  24. suit — clothes

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