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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. staff — a stick
  3. race — a contest
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. rush — hurry
  8. race — the arms race
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lean — to bend
  18. content — happy
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. race — humankind
  24. wax — in the ear

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