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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. leaves — lets stay
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — a division
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tear — from crying
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mug — to rob
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — in the ear
  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