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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 120 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: row · stand · wave · court · lash · pound · march · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — of law
  8. march — the month
  9. row — a line
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — a weight
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. court — of a king
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. court — for sport
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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