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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. firm — a company
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cold — not warm
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. firm — steady
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. ruler — for measuring

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