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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mate — to breed
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cell — in biology
  9. suit — to fit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. degree — temperature
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — from a university
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — the fish
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. club — for golf
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mate — a partner
  24. perch — for a bird

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