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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · cabinet · pound · wave · stem · roll · wax · season

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pound — a weight
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. roll — a list
  18. season — in sport
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. season — of the year
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. season — to add flavour

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