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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pop — soda
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — to confront
  11. pop — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mate — a partner
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wax — in the ear

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