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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. track — a song
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. track — to keep track
  10. firm — steady
  11. track — a path
  12. firm — decided
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. kid — child
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — to tease
  18. sharp — clever
  19. firm — a company
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. sharp — exactly

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