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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bass — low music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — a price
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — clever
  16. charge — in control
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — certain
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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