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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — a group
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. club — for dancing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. chest — of your body
  18. club — for golf
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — a box
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. chest — of your body

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