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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. court — of law
  3. field — farmland
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. field — for sport
  7. rest — a break
  8. court — for sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. court — of a king
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rock — music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. field — a subject
  24. rock — to move gently

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