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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rock — music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. shower — rain
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. shower — to wash
  13. object — an aim
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. object — to protest

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