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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rest — a break
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pound — a weight

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