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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. last — finally
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. court — of law
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. last — final
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stock — shares
  12. charge — a price
  13. court — of a king
  14. last — to go on
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. court — for sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. charge — in control
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wave — with your hand

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