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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cue — a signal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rule — government
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. craft — boats
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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