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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. charge — in control
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. charge — a price
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. clip — for paper
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. clip — a video
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. foot — a measure
  16. charge — electricity
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. tube — a container
  21. fork — in a road
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wax — in the ear

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