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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. swing — to play on
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. swing — music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — decided
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. firm — a company
  24. snap — to click

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