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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bank — for money
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rest — a break
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bank — for money
  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