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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bore — to tire
  3. lean — thin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mark — a trace
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fall — to drop

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