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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. root — the cause
  9. key — the most important part
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a ring
  18. key — in music
  19. charge — in control
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. band — a music group
  24. root — of a word

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