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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wax — to grow
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. object — an aim
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — to go on
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for golf
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — to protest
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — a thing

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