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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · wax · spring · object · fall · snap · mug · bank

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wax — to grow
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rash — a series
  7. spring — a coil
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spring — the season
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. object — an aim
  13. bank — for money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bank — of a river
  16. object — to protest
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fall — the season
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — a thing
  23. spring — of water
  24. mug — a face

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