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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rule — government
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. track — a song
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a path
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. track — to keep track
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. shower — rain
  21. rule — a law
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — a series

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