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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. content — the amount
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wax — to grow
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. content — happy
  17. mark — a grade
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. land — ground
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. foot — a measure
  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