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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lean — thin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. firm — decided
  15. object — to protest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. capital — money
  19. object — a thing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. firm — steady
  22. object — an aim
  23. capital — a city
  24. firm — a company

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