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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: bear · present · wave · band · rash · current · wax · leaves

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. current — electric
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — the time now
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. band — a music group
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. present — there
  14. current — happening now
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. current — of water
  24. leaves — of a tree

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