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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pop — soda
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. roll — a list
  24. wave — with your hand

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