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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's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. suit — to fit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rash — hasty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. suit — in cards
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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