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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — to grow
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. board — a committee
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stem — to come from
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. board — to get on
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wake — before a funeral

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