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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. court — of law
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wax — to grow
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rule — a law
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rule — government
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  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