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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: wax · hand · arm · wave · bay · stand · face · wake

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stand — to bear
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wake — a trail
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. face — to confront
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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