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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. kick — in football
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wax — to grow
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — a division
  22. sharp — clever
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — for digging

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