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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. race — humankind
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — a permit
  11. swing — music
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rule — government
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. race — a contest
  22. swing — in golf
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rule — a law

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