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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rest — a break
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wax — to grow
  15. toast — bread
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rest — what's left
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mark — a trace
  20. band — a music group
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wax — for sculpting

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