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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. board — a committee
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fork — in a road

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