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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · hand · wave · pitch · arm · fan · wax · tear

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hand — in cards
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hand — help
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — to grow
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — a supporter

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