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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — a thing
  5. wax — to grow
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. last — finally
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. fine — high quality
  15. object — an aim
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. object — to protest

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