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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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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: wind · rash · wax · vault · stock · pass · wave · tear

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stock — shares
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stock — goods
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pass — a permit

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