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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitch — completely
  9. deal — to handle
  10. tear — to rip
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. deal — a big deal

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