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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pit — in a race
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. current — happening now
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fall — the season
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to click
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — a hole
  21. current — of water
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. leaves — lets stay

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