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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to click
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mine — for digging
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bore — to tire
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bore — gave birth

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