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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. rush — to hurry
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. tube — the underground
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — in a tire
  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