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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bound — tied together
  8. present — the time now
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — there
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. wax — to grow
  17. season — of the year
  18. present — a gift
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — a city
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wax — in the ear

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