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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pop — soda
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. staff — employees
  14. land — a country
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pop — music
  17. land — to come down
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rest — a break
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. land — ground
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wax — to grow

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