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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wax — to grow
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — clever
  5. suit — to fit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. suit — in cards
  11. squash — to crush
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. squash — the sport
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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