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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — to bear
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hand — help
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. spring — a coil
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rash — a series
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hand — in cards
  23. charge — a price
  24. plane — a tool

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