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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — a tin
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wax — to grow
  14. clip — a video
  15. tube — a container
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pass — to spend time

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