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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — a country
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rock — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. hand — in cards
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hand — help
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — ground
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. swing — music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. suit — clothes
  24. land — to come down

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