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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fork — in a road
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — a tin
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ground — a position
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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