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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wax — to grow
  6. shower — to wash
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — what's left

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