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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: wax · cell · pound · swing · bank · bulb · chest · wave

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chest — a box
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bank — of a river
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. swing — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wax — for sculpting

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