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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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Word bank
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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: wave · wax · rock · cell · rule · pitch

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rock — music
  10. rule — a law
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rule — government
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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