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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. last — final
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. last — finally
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pit — a hole
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wax — in the ear

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