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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stock — goods
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pop — soda
  17. court — of law
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — of a king
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. court — for sport
  24. stock — shares

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