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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. snap — to click
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stock — shares
  12. spell — a short time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — to recline
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mug — a face

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