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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. last — final
  6. craft — boats
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. foot — a measure
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mine — for digging
  19. last — to go on
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mark — a grade
  24. last — finally

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