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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 116 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. land — ground
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — of the year
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — thin
  12. can — a tin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. land — a country
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. tube — the underground
  19. land — to come down
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wax — for sculpting

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