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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wax — to grow
  6. object — a thing
  7. net — after costs
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — low music
  11. object — to protest
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. net — for catching
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. net — in sport
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. object — an aim

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