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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. object — an aim
  3. file — a document
  4. scale — in music
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. object — to protest
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. sharp — clever
  16. suit — clothes
  17. scale — size or range
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wound — an injury
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wound — an injury
  23. file — a tool
  24. object — a thing

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