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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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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: arm · wax · saw · fine · sharp · ball · jam · shower

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  2. sharp — clever
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a dance
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — to grow
  18. saw — the tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. sharp — exactly
  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