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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cue — for pool
  6. last — to go on
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. file — a tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a document
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stock — shares
  17. rock — music
  18. last — finally
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. last — final
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rock — a stone

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