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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bound — obliged
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — in sport
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bound — tied together
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. season — of the year
  22. wax — to grow
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rock — music

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