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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fall — the season
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spell — magic
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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