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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cap — a hat
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cap — a lid
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fine — all right
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rest — what's left

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