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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. shower — to wash
  3. track — a path
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — a song
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. shower — rain
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. track — to keep track
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wax — to grow
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — moving air

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