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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mug — a cup
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. mate — to breed
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — all right

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