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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mark — a grade
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitcher — a jug

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