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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · lie · clip · foot · wax · tube · fall · rash

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fall — the season
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rash — hasty
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — a video
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — to recline
  24. clip — to cut

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