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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — to grow
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. net — after costs
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. suit — clothes
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — for catching
  13. prune — to trim
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. land — a country
  23. net — in sport
  24. wake — a trail

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