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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. sharp — clever
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. swing — in golf
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lean — thin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rock — a stone
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. swing — music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rock — music
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wax — to grow

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