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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. march — music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — government
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. squash — the vegetable

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