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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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. rule — to rule out
  4. march — the month
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rule — government
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rule — a law
  15. ground — a position
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — crushed
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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