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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. suit — clothes
  9. row — a line
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. key — for a lock
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wax — to grow
  17. suit — in cards
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — in music
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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