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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. capital — money
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — the season
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. capital — a city
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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