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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. current — happening now
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. sharp — clever
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. current — electric
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — of water

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