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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · cap · mouse · mark · rush · wax · fall · dip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fall — the season
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — a hat

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