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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 · chip · spring · face · pass · cabinet · wake · wax

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. spring — a coil
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. face — to confront
  21. spring — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — of water
  24. pass — a permit

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