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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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