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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. last — to go on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wake — a trail
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. last — final
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kid — child
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kid — to tease

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