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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. fine — all right
  6. rash — hasty
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. last — final
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. can — a tin
  15. rash — a series
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fine — high quality
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pop — music
  22. last — finally
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rash — on the skin

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