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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. last — finally
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. file — a tool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. file — a document
  13. last — final
  14. rash — a series
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. plane — a tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rash — hasty

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