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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bass — the fish
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. chest — a box
  18. bass — low music
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chest — of your body

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