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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. sharp — clever
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — a container
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a ring
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wax — to grow
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a music group

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