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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rule — a law
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. snap — to click
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — to grow
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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