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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. staff — employees
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. staff — employees
  10. wound — an injury
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rock — a stone
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rock — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stand — to bear
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. game — a match

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