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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: cold · sharp · row · mouse · wax · board · cabinet · suit

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cold — an illness
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cold — not warm
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. row — a line
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. cabinet — ministers

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