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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · kick · deal · wax · fall · patient

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kick — in football
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fall — the season
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. deal — to handle

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