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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bound — certain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — for catching
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — size or range
  10. net — in sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — rain
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. net — after costs
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bound — obliged

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