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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. last — to go on
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — final
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. content — the amount
  10. last — finally
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. content — happy
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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