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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: spring · stick · race · wave · wax · bank · bowl · face

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. race — humankind
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — a coil
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spring — of water
  13. race — a contest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bank — of a river
  19. face — to confront
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spring — the season
  23. wave — of the sea
  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