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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lean — thin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wake — a trail
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — the earth

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