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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chest — a box
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rest — a break

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