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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chest — a box
  3. can — a tin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rule — a law
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rule — government
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stock — goods
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. stock — shares
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stock — a soup base

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