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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. sharp — clever
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. spring — the season
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — a stone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  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