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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rule — a law
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fall — the season
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — a position
  16. suit — clothes
  17. craft — boats
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rule — government
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — a trace

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