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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. rash — a series
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rest — a break
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kick — in football
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — of ice
  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