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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fine — high quality
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — a law
  14. field — farmland
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. field — for sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — all right
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. nail — for a hammer

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