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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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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: last · fall · mark · bear · wax · wave · foot · cap

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cap — a hat
  8. last — final
  9. wax — to grow
  10. foot — a measure
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fall — the season
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wave — of the sea

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