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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. present — there
  5. rest — what's left
  6. last — to go on
  7. present — the time now
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — soda
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — a break
  19. chip — for betting
  20. can — a tin
  21. pop — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. can — to be able to

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