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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. row — a line
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — in football
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. object — a thing
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kick — with a leg

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