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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. land — a country
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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