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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. object — to protest
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rush — hurry
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. season — in sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. object — a thing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — high quality
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — an aim
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cap — a lid

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