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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rock — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — decided
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  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