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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cold — not warm
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chair — to sit on

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