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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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Word bank
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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. fine — all right
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — an aim
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. season — of the year
  10. game — a match
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. object — to protest
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — with your hand
  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