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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: wax · wave · saw · game · tube · wake · face · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. game — wild animals
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. face — to confront
  12. tube — a container
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wax — to grow
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. game — a match
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — the underground

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