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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 · rock · fine · kid · ball · wax · wake · key

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rock — music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fine — all right
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ball — a dance
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rock — a stone
  17. key — for a lock
  18. kid — child
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. key — in music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fine — a penalty

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