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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rock — music
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. current — of water
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — happening now
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wave — of the sea

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