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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 116 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: bank · wind · wake · hand · wax · cell · tear · pitch

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bank — for money
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hand — help
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — in the ear

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