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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. squash — to crush
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. firm — a company
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. craft — boats
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bass — low music
  19. drill — army training
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. craft — a skill
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bass — the fish

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