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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. object — a thing
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. season — in sport
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. object — to protest
  16. mark — a trace
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bowl — a dish

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