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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. land — to come down
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. land — ground
  7. lean — to bend
  8. season — of the year
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. season — in sport
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. present — a gift
  17. land — a country
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. safe — out of danger

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