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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. last — finally
  3. pound — a weight
  4. firm — decided
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — to go on
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. can — to be able to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. last — final
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. firm — steady
  22. can — a tin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — a company

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