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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — a company
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — hurry
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wax — to grow

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