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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wax — to grow
  6. charge — electricity
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tube — a container
  12. charge — in control
  13. ball — a dance
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. shower — rain
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tube — the underground
  20. charge — a price
  21. stock — goods
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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