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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. race — a contest
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fine — high quality
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lean — thin
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fine — all right
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lean — to bend

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