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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 116 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a cup
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pop — music
  7. mug — a face
  8. fall — the season
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pop — soda
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — of water
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wave — of the sea

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