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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — for sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a match
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. toast — bread
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rush — hurry
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. field — farmland
  24. mark — a grade

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