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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — not warm
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — the amount
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cold — an illness
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. suit — to fit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. content — happy
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. lie — an untruth

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