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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 · wax · ground · foot · chip · shower · perch · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wax — to grow
  7. perch — the fish
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. shower — rain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chip — for betting

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