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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. content — the amount
  9. can — a tin
  10. dip — to sink
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. content — happy
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mine — for digging

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