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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — to eat
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wax — to grow
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. spring — a coil
  20. hand — help
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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