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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spell — letters
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bank — for money
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a document
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. file — a line of people
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — magic

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