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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — to go on
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fall — the season
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. last — final
  14. craft — a skill
  15. hand — help
  16. object — a thing
  17. wax — to grow
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — finally
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. craft — boats
  24. object — to protest

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