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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. present — the time now
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — the season
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. object — an aim
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mine — for digging
  23. object — to protest
  24. present — there

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