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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mug — a face
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. court — for sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wax — to grow
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. court — of a king
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — of law
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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