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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — in cards
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pass — a permit
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stem — to come from
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — to succeed

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