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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rule — government
  8. firm — steady
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — a law
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pit — a hole
  16. firm — decided
  17. pit — in a race
  18. net — for catching
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. firm — a company
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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