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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. toast — bread
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. content — the amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — a trail
  22. content — happy
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mouse — for a computer

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