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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. band — a ring
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. snap — to click
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a music group
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rush — hurry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — a tin

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