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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.

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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. game — wild animals
  3. present — a gift
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. shower — rain
  7. pass — a permit
  8. firm — steady
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. track — a path
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. game — a match
  15. shower — to wash
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — the time now
  18. firm — decided
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — there
  21. track — a song
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. firm — a company

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