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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. current — happening now
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bound — certain

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