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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. club — for golf
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. club — a group
  14. wax — to grow
  15. swing — in golf
  16. vault — a safe
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. suit — in cards
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. suit — to fit
  24. club — for dancing

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