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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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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: wax · swing · lash · stand · prune · bank · wave · mouse

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bank — for money
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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