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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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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: date · chip · fan · deal · bark · wax · snap · wave

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. date — the fruit
  23. snap — to click
  24. deal — an agreement

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