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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 120 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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. band — a music group

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