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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. board — a committee
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a music group
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. season — in sport
  20. band — a ring
  21. season — of the year
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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