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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rock — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — in control
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. charge — electricity
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. charge — a price
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rock — a stone

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