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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: wax · suit · temple · tear · fall · rest · wave · wake

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — the season
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — to rip
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tear — from crying

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