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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: wave · wax · file · bound · last · stem · row · cue

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bound — certain
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. last — finally
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. file — a line of people
  8. last — final
  9. row — to paddle
  10. file — a tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. last — to go on
  13. cue — a hint
  14. file — a document
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stem — to come from
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wax — to grow

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