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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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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: club · stock · roll · bear · wave · rush · fan · wax

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. club — for dancing
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stock — shares
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. stock — goods
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. roll — a list
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rush — a thrill

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