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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: wax · lie · can · wave · roll · kid · date · shower

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — to tease
  10. roll — a list
  11. can — to be able to
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. shower — to wash
  19. kid — child
  20. lie — to recline
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. date — on the calendar

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