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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. swing — in golf
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hand — help
  7. mug — a face
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — boats
  17. swing — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — in cards
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — a skill

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