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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lie — to recline
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cabinet — ministers

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