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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fall — the season
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. saw — the tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — the tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. nail — for a hammer

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