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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bulb — for light
  7. game — a match
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. suit — clothes
  12. game — wild animals
  13. vault — a safe
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — after costs
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bulb — of a plant

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