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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. object — a thing
  3. shower — rain
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — the cause
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rush — hurry
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. file — a line of people
  13. root — of a word
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cue — a signal
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. shower — to wash
  20. object — to protest
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. cue — for pool
  23. object — an aim
  24. cue — a hint

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