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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rush — hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chest — of your body
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mug — a face
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chest — a box
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — a cup
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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