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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. spell — magic
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. craft — boats
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. game — a match
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chip — for betting
  24. game — a kind of play

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