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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.

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: rush · wax · spring · mug · stock · wave · season · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mug — to rob
  4. season — in sport
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spring — the season
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mug — a face
  11. stock — shares
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stock — goods
  20. season — of the year
  21. chest — a box
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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