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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — of water
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rule — a law
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — the fish
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bass — low music
  13. rule — government
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. current — electric
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fall — the season
  20. snap — to click
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rule — to rule out

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