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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. key — in music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wound — an injury
  20. key — the most important part
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. sharp — clever
  24. racket — for tennis

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