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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fine — high quality
  15. file — a tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fine — all right
  24. file — a document

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