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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. club — a group
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. club — for golf
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. file — a document
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a line of people
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. file — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fine — all right
  24. wax — for sculpting

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