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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to click
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wax — in the ear

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