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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stock — shares
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — of a word
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wax — to grow
  20. root — of a plant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. root — the cause
  23. sharp — clever
  24. nail — for a hammer

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