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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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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: wax · roll · pop · wind · saw · cap · wave · bay

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pop — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pop — to visit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — soda
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — of ice

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