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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cap — a lid
  11. kick — in football
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. shower — to wash
  16. craft — boats
  17. cap — a hat
  18. shower — rain
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wax — for sculpting

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