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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spring — of water
  7. season — of the year
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. season — in sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bound — certain
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spring — the season
  24. mouse — for a computer

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