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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: net · wax · wave · land · cell · bark · stand · race

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. land — ground
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. net — after costs
  6. wax — to grow
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. land — to come down
  13. race — humankind
  14. land — a country
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. net — for catching
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cell — a phone
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bark — to shout
  24. race — a contest

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