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

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stock — shares
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cell — a phone
  12. stock — goods
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fall — the season
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wax — in the ear

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