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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: race · face · bank · staff · scale · wave · pop · wax

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — of a river
  4. race — humankind
  5. pop — soda
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pop — music
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. race — the arms race
  15. face — part of the head
  16. staff — a stick
  17. race — a contest
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pop — to visit
  21. scale — in music
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. face — to confront
  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