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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. staff — a stick
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to click
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — to grow
  13. suit — clothes
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. staff — employees
  20. fall — the season
  21. sharp — clever
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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