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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — to visit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — to protest
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. march — music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. object — an aim
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bore — to drill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. march — the month
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — music

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