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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — of a king
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — a hat
  14. court — for sport
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — a lid
  19. sharp — clever
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — of ice
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cue — a signal

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