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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. present — there
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. present — the time now
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — letters
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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