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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. scale — in music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. scale — size or range
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wax — to grow
  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