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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: cap · kick · sharp · fork · wax · mine · fine · cell

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kick — in football
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. sharp — exactly

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