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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wax — to grow
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fine — all right
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. capital — a city
  14. pit — in a race
  15. club — for golf
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — money
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pit — a hole

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