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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. saw — the tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wake — a trail
  22. snap — to click
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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