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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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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: fork · mug · foot · mine · wax · wave · chest · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — finally
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chest — a box
  20. mug — a face
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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