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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · mine · date · firm · mate · sharp · wax · fine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fine — high quality
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. firm — steady
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. firm — a company
  23. date — the fruit
  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