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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. race — the arms race
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. lean — thin
  8. bass — the fish
  9. suit — in cards
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lean — to bend
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. degree — temperature
  21. season — in sport
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. degree — from a university

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