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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — magic
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — thin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stand — for spectators

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