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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. game — a match
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. toast — bread
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cue — a signal
  20. can — a tin
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cue — a hint
  24. can — to be able to

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