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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 120 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: cell · wax · rash · craft · game · wave · lie · tube

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — a container
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rash — a series
  16. wax — to grow
  17. game — a match
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. game — a kind of play

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