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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 116 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tear — from crying
  3. suit — to fit
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — clothes
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cabinet — ministers

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