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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rest — what's left
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rest — a break
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. prune — to trim
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rush — to hurry

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