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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: mate · date · wax · fan · wave · deal · rash · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mate — a partner
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. deal — a big deal

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