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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. net — in sport
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — for catching
  14. mug — a face
  15. last — to go on
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fork — in a road
  18. last — finally
  19. net — after costs
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. last — final
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mug — a cup

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