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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. suit — in cards
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. suit — clothes
  7. game — a match
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wax — to grow
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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