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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: content · bat · wake · fan · game · wax · nail · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a match
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. content — the amount
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. content — happy
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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