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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · rule · wave · rock · wax · spell · cap · spring

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spring — the season
  4. spell — letters
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — government
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spring — of water
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. spell — magic
  18. rule — a law
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rock — 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