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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. drill — army training
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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