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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. can — a tin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. chest — a box
  24. wax — in the ear

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