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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 116 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: wave · wax · court · fork · bank · spell · press · chip

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. press — to push
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. court — of a king
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fork — in a road
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. spell — magic

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