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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rash — a series
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wax — to grow
  5. roll — a list
  6. cell — a phone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — to fit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fall — the season
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — in cards
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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