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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · cabinet · mark · stick · fan · wax · mine · field

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. field — for sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. field — farmland
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. field — a subject
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wax — for sculpting

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