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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — a series
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. sharp — clever

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