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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: wave · mark · nail · rush · cabinet · cold · bank · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cold — not warm
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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