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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. content — the amount
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. content — happy
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. field — for sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. toast — bread
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. field — a subject
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. field — farmland

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