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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a cup
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. swing — to play on
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. swing — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. date — the fruit
  12. swing — in golf
  13. toast — bread
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mug — a face
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — to handle

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