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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pop — music
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — soda
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. capital — money
  15. lean — thin
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. staff — employees
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. kick — in football
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — a city
  24. chair — a leader

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