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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fine — high quality
  11. capital — money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rash — a series
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a city
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. chair — a leader
  23. snap — to click
  24. rash — on the skin

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