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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lean — thin
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. last — finally
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rock — music
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lean — to bend
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — for digging
  17. tube — a container
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — a stone
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. tube — in a tire
  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