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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
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: straw · squash · wax · mate · mark · track · bulb · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mark — a grade
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mate — to breed
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — a path
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. track — a song
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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