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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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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: cell · wax · wave · capital · bowl · bank · bass · perch

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — a city
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bass — low music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. capital — money
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bass — the fish
  24. perch — the fish

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