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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — wild animals
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pass — a permit
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. present — the time now
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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