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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — to go on
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — rain
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. face — to confront
  9. wax — to grow
  10. object — an aim
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. shower — to wash
  13. suit — clothes
  14. last — finally
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — part of the head
  19. last — final
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — to be able to
  24. suit — in cards

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