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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. present — the time now
  9. band — a ring
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lean — to bend
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — there
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. net — after costs
  21. wax — to grow
  22. present — a gift
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. net — in sport

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