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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lean — thin
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. spring — the season
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. spring — of water

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