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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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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wound — an injury
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. staff — employees

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