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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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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: snap · fork · race · mouse · wave · wax · bear · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — humankind
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. snap — to click
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bear — the animal

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