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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. track — a song
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. track — a path
  8. net — for catching
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — in sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. suit — clothes
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. net — after costs
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mug — a cup
  20. suit — in cards
  21. track — to keep track
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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