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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bass — low music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wake — a trail
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mug — a face
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mug — a cup

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