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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. spring — of water
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. staff — employees
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mark — a trace

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