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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. club — a group
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cell — a phone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. wax — to grow
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pop — soda
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pop — music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. club — for golf
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fall — to drop

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