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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — for pool
  3. last — to go on
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. last — finally
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. last — final
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. date — the fruit

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