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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. prune — to trim
  5. object — a thing
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. object — to protest
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. race — a contest
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pound — a weight

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