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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wax — to grow
  6. key — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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