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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. object — an aim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. object — a thing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. object — to protest
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chest — of your body
  16. snap — to click
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chest — a box
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wax — in the ear

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