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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spring — of water
  12. stock — shares
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spring — the season
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. mouse — for a computer

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