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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: can · wave · season · pop · rash · lean · stock · wax

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. season — in sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rash — hasty
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — thin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — soda
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rash — a series

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