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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. snap — to click
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. track — a path
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. track — a song
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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