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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. last — finally
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. craft — a skill
  11. last — final
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. game — a match
  14. spell — magic
  15. game — wild animals
  16. press — to push
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. craft — boats
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wave — of the sea

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