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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rash — a series
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. object — to protest
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — an aim
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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