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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rest — a break
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. capital — a city
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — clever
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wax — to grow
  14. suit — clothes
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. roll — a list
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rush — hurry
  20. suit — to fit
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. capital — money
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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