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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. object — an aim
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — a thing
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pound — a weight
  22. object — to protest
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wax — in the ear

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