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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. game — wild animals
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — a hint
  17. degree — from a university
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — a match
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cue — for pool
  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