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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.

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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bound — tied together
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bound — obliged
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mark — a grade
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — certain

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