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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. current — electric
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. dip — to sink
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. roll — a list
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. roll — a cake
  18. current — happening now
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lean — thin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wax — for sculpting

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