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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — thin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — a hole
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pit — in a race
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. root — of a word
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. club — a group
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. root — the cause
  21. wind — moving air
  22. club — for golf
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bear — the animal

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