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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 120 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: content · fan · wax · stock · bank · suit · wave · mine

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — shares
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — goods
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bank — for money
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. content — videos and posts

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