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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. track — to keep track
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — a song
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fine — all right
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — a path
  21. fine — high quality
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  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