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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: rush · dip · wax · key · wave · spring · calf · file

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. file — a line of people
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. key — in music
  15. spring — the season
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. file — a document
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spring — of water

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