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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. present — the time now
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mine — for digging
  10. present — a gift
  11. swing — music
  12. track — a song
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spring — of water
  24. present — there

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