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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. kick — in football
  3. land — ground
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spell — a short time
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rule — government
  12. land — to come down
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. land — a country
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rule — a law
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. toast — bread
  21. prune — to trim
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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