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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — soda
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pop — to visit
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pop — music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bulb — for light

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