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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. last — final
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — to visit
  11. last — to go on
  12. pop — soda
  13. bat — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fine — all right
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — finally
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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