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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 120 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — a series
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wax — to grow
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. firm — a company
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — steady
  24. prune — to trim

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