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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. snap — to click
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wax — to grow
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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