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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. clip — a video
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mate — a partner
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mate — to breed
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lash — to lash out

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