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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. kid — child
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — a company
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. club — for dancing
  9. current — of water
  10. club — for golf
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. dip — to sink
  13. tube — the underground
  14. firm — decided
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. club — a group
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kick — in football
  19. current — happening now
  20. kid — to tease
  21. firm — steady
  22. current — electric
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — to dunk

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