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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. charge — a price
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. staff — a stick
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. scale — in music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wound — an injury
  22. charge — in control
  23. foot — a measure
  24. sharp — with an edge

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