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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: band · ruler · wax · wave · cabinet · kick

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. band — a ring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ruler — for measuring

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