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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: bank · fall · wax · wound · leaves · can · squash · pop

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fall — the season
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fall — to drop
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pop — music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pop — to visit
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — for money
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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