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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 · ball · saw · swing · leaves · suit · clip · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — clothes
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — music
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wax — to grow
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. clip — a video
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ball — a great time
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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