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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — a break
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pass — a permit
  10. swing — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wax — to grow
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — to play on
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. band — a music group
  24. pit — in a race

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