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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. swing — in golf
  6. craft — boats
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. track — a song
  16. swing — to play on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cold — not warm
  20. swing — music
  21. track — a path
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. track — to keep track

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