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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: wax · tear · bat · wave · suit · patient · bank · hide

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bank — for money
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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