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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. net — for catching
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. net — after costs
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — a break
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — the season
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fall — to drop

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