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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: dip · bulb · snap · fan · root · charge · wax · wave

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — of a word
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. charge — a price
  17. root — the cause
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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