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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: wax · sharp · bowl · wave · straw · field · bay · deal

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. field — farmland
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — a straw man

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