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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — completely
  3. wax — to grow
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fall — the season
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — a cake
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. roll — a list

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