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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 116 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: hide · firm · stick · mug · mouse · wave · face · wax

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. face — to confront
  6. mug — a face
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. firm — steady
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mug — a cup
  14. firm — decided
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. firm — a company

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