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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mug — a face
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mug — a cup
  6. face — to confront
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rash — hasty
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. row — a line
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. fine — all right
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rash — a series
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wax — to grow
  24. face — to point toward

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