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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wax — to grow
  3. court — of law
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. bulb — for light
  23. firm — steady
  24. court — of a king

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