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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. capital — a city
  3. pop — to visit
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pop — music
  8. cue — a signal
  9. board — to get on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pop — soda
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. board — a committee
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wax — in the ear

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