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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. suit — in cards
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wax — for sculpting

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