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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 · mug · straw · wax · bear · dip · pitcher · march

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — the month
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wax — to grow
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. march — the month
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bear — the animal
  18. march — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. mug — a face

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