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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. sharp — clever
  4. row — a line
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rule — a law
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — a stick
  14. ball — a dance
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — to recline
  20. can — to be able to
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rule — government

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