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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lean — thin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. net — in sport
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. firm — a company
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. firm — decided
  18. net — after costs
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. firm — steady
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bowl — to roll
  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