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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fine — all right
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. content — the amount
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mark — a trace
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mark — a grade
  19. shower — rain
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. content — happy
  24. wax — in the ear

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