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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. row — to paddle
  3. last — finally
  4. row — a line
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kid — child
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — the season
  12. wake — a trail
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. last — to go on
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — to tease
  23. last — final
  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