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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bowl · hide · stick · wax · spring · can · suit · wave

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — the season
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — to grow
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. suit — clothes
  20. can — a tin
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — a coil

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