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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: stand · wax · cell · sharp · wave · nail · squash · staff

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stand — to bear
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. sharp — clever
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. staff — employees
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in biology
  24. squash — the vegetable

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