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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — soda
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pop — music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mouse — the animal

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