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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. present — there
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. last — to go on
  6. capital — money
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. last — final
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. capital — a city
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. suit — to fit
  24. last — finally

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