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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: sharp · suit · mine · scale · club · wave · kick · wax

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kick — in football
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. scale — in music
  18. club — a group
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. club — for golf
  23. wax — to grow
  24. suit — in cards

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