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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pit — in a race
  12. branch — a division
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wound — an injury

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