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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tube — a container
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pop — soda
  7. kick — in football
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rash — a series
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rash — hasty
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fall — the season
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tube — the underground

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