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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wax — to grow
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. swing — in golf
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rock — a stone
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lie — to recline
  20. shower — rain
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stand — for spectators

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