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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — money
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. key — for a lock
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. board — a committee
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. board — to get on
  22. key — the most important part
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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