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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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 — for sculpting
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spring — of water
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spell — letters
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fine — all right
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — high quality
  19. spring — the season
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fall — the season
  22. lean — thin
  23. rush — to hurry
  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