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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wake — a trail
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — clothes
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. suit — in cards
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. current — of water
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. suit — to fit
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. plane — a tool

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