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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. object — a thing
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. season — in sport
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. object — an aim
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. object — to protest
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tear — from crying

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