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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: chair · content · lie · bulb · wax · rock · lean · snap

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rock — music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — thin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lie — to recline
  17. snap — to click
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. content — happy
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chair — to sit on

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