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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. key — the most important part
  3. craft — boats
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — the season
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. craft — a skill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. key — in music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pass — a permit
  19. hand — help
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — 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