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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.

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: wax · press · date · spring · wound · wave · file · season

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. season — of the year
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spring — of water
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. season — in sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. press — a publisher
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a document
  20. spring — the season
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wax — for sculpting

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