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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.

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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: wave · foot · bulb · deal · chest · hand · saw · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hand — help
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chest — a box
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — the bottom

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