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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. last — finally
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fine — all right
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. last — final
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. last — to go on
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. mark — a trace

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