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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mine — for digging
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. firm — a company
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rule — a law
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — government
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cell — a phone
  16. shower — rain
  17. firm — decided
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. firm — steady
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cell — in biology

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