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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fall — to drop
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cue — a hint
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fall — the season
  18. object — a thing
  19. bank — of a river
  20. march — music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. object — to protest
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. object — an aim

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