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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mate — a partner
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mate — a friend
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rule — a law
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. season — of the year
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mate — to breed
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lean — thin
  24. foot — part of the body

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