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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kid — child
  13. spell — letters
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wax — to grow
  23. suit — in cards
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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