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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. mine — for digging
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. last — finally
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — a series
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. last — final
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. dip — to sink
  22. last — to go on
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. dip — to dunk

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