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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cap — of ice
  4. last — to go on
  5. land — a country
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. land — ground
  11. craft — boats
  12. last — final
  13. land — to come down
  14. swing — to play on
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. last — finally
  17. cap — a hat
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — a skill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  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