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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. swing — music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wax — to grow
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. swing — in golf
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — a stone

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