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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 124 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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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: wave · bank · scale · track · wax · fall · rash · rest

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fall — the season
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rest — a break
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a song
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bank — for money
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — in music
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rash — a series

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