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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fine — high quality
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — a short time
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kid — child
  16. squash — to crush
  17. spell — letters
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fine — all right
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spell — magic
  24. wax — to grow

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