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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mate — to breed
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mate — a partner
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. toast — bread
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mate — a friend

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