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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — to grow
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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