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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. content — happy
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. staff — a stick
  15. dip — to sink
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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