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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — a break
  6. file — a document
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. root — of a plant
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. root — the cause
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cold — not warm
  19. root — of a word
  20. cold — an illness
  21. can — to be able to
  22. file — a tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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