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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fine — all right
  3. present — a gift
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wax — to grow
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — the time now
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fine — high quality
  24. present — there

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