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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 120 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — to recline
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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