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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. content — happy
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. suit — to fit
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. suit — in cards
  16. content — the amount
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. trunk — of a car

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