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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tube — a container
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. tube — the underground
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rock — music

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