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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
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Word bank
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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: staff · sharp · mine · land · wax · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. land — ground
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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