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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wake — a trail
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mark — a trace
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — a grade
  10. deal — to handle
  11. scale — size or range
  12. craft — boats
  13. scale — in music
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rash — a series
  24. wax — in the ear

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