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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rule — a law
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. can — a tin
  24. wax — in the ear

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