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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. capital — money
  6. fall — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. prune — to trim
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. capital — a city
  24. fall — to drop

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