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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mark — a grade
  3. content — the amount
  4. mate — to breed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. face — to point toward
  11. branch — a division
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. content — happy
  14. face — to confront
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mate — a partner
  19. face — part of the head
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mate — a friend
  24. trunk — of a car

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