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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. last — finally
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. last — final
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rule — government
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rule — a law
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wax — to grow
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — to go on
  22. craft — boats
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. craft — a skill

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