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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fall — the season
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — all right
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cold — an illness
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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