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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a line
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. tear — from crying
  9. row — to paddle
  10. tear — to rip
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. board — a committee
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. board — to get on

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