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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 124 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bore — to drill
  5. last — finally
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. dip — to sink
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wax — to grow
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. last — final

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