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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 124 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. last — final
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — a trail
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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