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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. game — a match
  11. wax — to grow
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — in a road
  17. land — ground
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. land — a country
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — a garden tool

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