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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fine — high quality
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kid — child
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stand — for spectators

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