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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — the season
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rock — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cue — for pool
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. arm — part of the body

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