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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: wave · wax · chair · fork · row · toast · dip · deal

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. dip — to sink
  10. fork — in a road
  11. toast — bread
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. deal — to handle
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wax — to grow
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. deal — an agreement

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