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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kid — child
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — in music

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