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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rule — a law
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — the amount
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — to point toward
  10. key — the most important part
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — government
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. face — to confront
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — happy
  20. face — part of the head
  21. snap — to click
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. nail — on a finger

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