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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. sharp — clever
  3. firm — decided
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — a price
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lean — thin
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — to grow
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. firm — steady
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. charge — in control
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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