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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a ring
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. band — a music group
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wax — to grow
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — clothes

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