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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. charge — in control
  3. wax — to grow
  4. drill — army training
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — a price
  9. chest — a box
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. key — in music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chest — of your body
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. key — for a lock

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