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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. last — finally
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spring — of water
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. snap — to click
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — size or range
  19. spring — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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