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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wax — to grow
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. season — in sport
  10. degree — an amount
  11. charge — electricity
  12. degree — from a university
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — of the year
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. charge — a price
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wax — for sculpting

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