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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. court — for sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — certain
  8. court — of a king
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. court — of law
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — a trail
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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