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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: wave · present · spell · wax · fall · lean · deal · mug

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spell — letters
  4. mug — a face
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — a gift
  9. spell — magic
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fall — the season
  14. deal — to handle
  15. present — the time now
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spell — a short time
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. present — there
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mug — to rob

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