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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. kid — child
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wake — a trail
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. face — to point toward
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. face — to confront

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