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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fine — high quality
  3. row — a line
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fine — all right
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. key — for a lock
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. key — the most important part
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. key — in music
  24. sharp — clever

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