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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fork — in a road
  6. last — to go on
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. last — final
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mate — a partner
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. last — finally
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pass — a permit

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