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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fall — the season
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fall — to drop
  6. suit — to fit
  7. charge — electricity
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cue — a hint
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. shower — rain
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. suit — in cards
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. shower — to wash

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