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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. object — to protest
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. object — a thing
  21. swing — music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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