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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. suit — to fit
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. face — to confront
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. toast — bread
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. suit — clothes
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fine — all right
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fine — high quality
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — the animal

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