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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: bank · wax · band · firm · leaves · rash · fall · last

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bank — for money
  4. fall — the season
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rash — hasty
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. band — a music group
  12. bank — of a river
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. last — finally
  15. firm — a company
  16. band — a ring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. last — final
  20. wax — to grow
  21. last — to go on
  22. rash — a series
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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