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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. spell — magic
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spring — of water
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. spring — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cap — a lid

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