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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. face — to point toward
  5. last — finally
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wax — to grow
  14. net — for catching
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — a trail
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stock — shares
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — part of the head
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — for sculpting

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