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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rock — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tube — the underground
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wax — to grow
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rock — a stone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — a container
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mine — belonging to me

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