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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. track — a song
  3. board — a committee
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — to keep track
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. suit — clothes
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. shower — rain
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. track — a path
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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