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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.

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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: wake · object · wave · season · ground · wax · pitcher · snap

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — of the year
  3. wake — a trail
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. object — a thing
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. object — an aim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — to protest
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ground — crushed
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — of the sea

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