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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. object — to protest
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wind — moving air
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. snap — to click
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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