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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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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 · press · wind · vault · bay · rash · branch · wave

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. vault — a safe
  8. press — newspapers
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wax — to grow
  12. branch — a division
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. press — to push
  19. wind — moving air
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — on the skin
  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