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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: wave · pit · wound · wax · ball · bark · mate · jam

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wax — to grow
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wax — for sculpting

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