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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — in cards
  9. kick — in football
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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