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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mug — a face
  4. fine — high quality
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. content — the amount
  10. wax — to grow
  11. race — a contest
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — all right
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — to rob
  17. race — humankind
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. race — the arms race
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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