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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. fall — to drop
  3. file — a document
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. file — a tool
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — a thing
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. object — to protest
  15. toast — bread
  16. fall — the season
  17. object — an aim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. file — a line of people
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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