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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. firm — steady
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rock — music
  11. last — finally
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. cue — a signal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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