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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
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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: can · lean · bank · wave · trunk · wax · stick · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. suit — to fit
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — thin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wax — to grow
  20. suit — clothes
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. can — a tin
  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