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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · game · object · band · wax · cabinet · fan · kid

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. kid — to tease
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. band — a ring
  10. game — a match
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kid — child
  13. band — a music group
  14. object — a thing
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — wild animals
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. game — a kind of play

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