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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — a lid
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cell — in biology
  11. spring — the season
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. spring — of water
  15. cap — of ice
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cell — a phone

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