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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rule — a law
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — to go on
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. plane — a tool
  16. last — finally
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. can — to be able to
  23. last — final
  24. rule — government

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