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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bank — for money
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. race — a contest
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. march — the month
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bank — of a river
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — the arms race

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