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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. sharp — clever
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cue — a signal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. cue — a hint
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wax — to grow
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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