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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — help
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cap — a lid
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hand — in cards
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cap — of ice
  24. hand — part of the body

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