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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 116 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 best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. shower — rain
  4. can — a tin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stock — goods
  7. drill — army training
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lean — thin
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mate — a friend
  23. drill — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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