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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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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 · wax · bank · rule · pound · squash · dip · wind

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rule — government
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — a law
  19. bank — for money
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wind — to turn a key

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