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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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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: bass · branch · stick · wax · face · spell · rash · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spell — magic
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bass — low music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. face — to confront
  14. rash — hasty
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — a series

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