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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mark — a grade
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. club — for golf
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mark — a trace
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. club — a group
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — not warm
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cell — a phone
  24. can — a tin

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