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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. game — a match
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lean — to bend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. game — wild animals
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — to go on
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. last — final
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. last — finally
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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