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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. toast — bread
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — in sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a path
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a song
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hand — help
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. track — to keep track
  23. season — of the year
  24. bulb — for light

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