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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wax — to grow
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fall — the season
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — a tin
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. net — in sport
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pitch — completely
  19. net — for catching
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — after costs

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