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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. last — to go on
  7. fork — in a road
  8. dip — to sink
  9. track — a path
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. last — final
  18. track — a song
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. last — finally
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. nail — for a hammer

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