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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. object — a thing
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. object — an aim
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. scale — in music
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — to protest
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rule — government

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