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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: rest · wax · wave · court · pitch · nail · lie · branch

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. court — for sport
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. branch — a division
  15. court — of a king
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rest — a break
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. court — of law

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