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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 120 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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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 · stick · chest · club · cabinet · bay · wave · season

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chest — of your body
  13. club — for golf
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — a box
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. season — of the year
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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