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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. pop — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mug — a face
  6. season — in sport
  7. shower — rain
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. season — of the year
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pop — soda
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. row — a line
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mug — a cup
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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