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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fall — the season
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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