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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. season — of the year
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pop — soda
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lean — thin
  21. season — in sport
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pop — 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