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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: stick · staff · roll · bear · wax · pitch · wave · chest

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. roll — a cake
  7. chest — of your body
  8. roll — a list
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chest — a box
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. staff — employees
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pitch — completely
  24. staff — employees

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