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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 116 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mine — for digging
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rest — what's left
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — the cause
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rest — a break
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. straw — a straw man

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