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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chair — a leader
  3. current — happening now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stock — shares
  8. current — electric
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stock — goods
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. key — for a lock

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