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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — the time now
  8. cold — an illness
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cold — not warm
  14. toast — bread
  15. wax — to grow
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. branch — of a tree

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