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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — a supporter

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