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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. band — a music group
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stock — shares
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. toast — bread
  19. stock — goods
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a ring

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