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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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468
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: firm · mug · wax · leaves · content · snap · foot · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wax — to grow
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. content — the amount
  7. firm — steady
  8. snap — to click
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mug — to rob
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. content — happy
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — the animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. foot — a measure
  20. firm — a company
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. content — videos and posts

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