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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. season — in sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — of the year
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rule — government
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. snap — to click

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