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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. swing — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cell — a phone
  7. present — a gift
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. suit — clothes
  14. present — the time now
  15. suit — to fit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fine — all right
  21. cell — in biology
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fine — high quality

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