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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rush — hurry
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. present — there
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. present — a gift
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spell — magic
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spell — letters
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. present — the time now
  24. chip — to eat

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