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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. march — the month
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. roll — a cake
  9. dip — to sink
  10. roll — a list
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. march — music
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. tube — a container
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. march — the month
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wax — to grow
  21. toast — bread
  22. tube — the underground
  23. dip — a sauce
  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