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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. suit — in cards
  14. net — for catching
  15. row — to paddle
  16. swing — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. row — a line
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. net — after costs

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