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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pop — music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bass — the fish
  11. present — there
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bass — low music
  14. root — of a word
  15. present — the time now
  16. root — the cause
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. saw — the tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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