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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. land — ground
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — a country
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — finally
  15. rock — a stone
  16. object — to protest
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rock — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. object — a thing
  21. wax — to grow
  22. land — to come down
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. last — final

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