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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 116 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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. root — the cause
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. root — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. root — of a word
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — to grow

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