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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. toast — bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. date — the fruit
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pass — a permit

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