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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. present — a gift
  7. wax — to grow
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — to get on
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — there
  15. clip — a video
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. deal — to handle
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — the time now
  24. clip — to cut

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