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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fine — all right
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. snap — to click
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — the fish
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bass — low music

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