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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. snap — to click
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wax — to grow
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spring — the season
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — of water

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