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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cold — an illness
  3. net — in sport
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. net — for catching
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pit — in a race
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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