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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: rule · cell · wave · roll · deal · wax

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rule — a law
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rule — government
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. roll — a list
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cell — a phone
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cell — in a prison

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