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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. court — of a king
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wind — moving air
  6. court — of law
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ground — the earth
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ground — a position
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. object — a thing
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. court — for sport
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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