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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spring — of water
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mug — a face
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stand — on your feet

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