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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — finally
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wax — to grow
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. last — to go on
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. last — final
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — in cards

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