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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tube — a container
  4. snap — to click
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — the underground
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — music
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mouse — the animal

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