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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 quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. suit — in cards
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fine — high quality
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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