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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wind — moving air
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — to grow
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. branch — a division
  13. object — an aim
  14. game — a match
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. suit — in cards
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — a break
  20. object — a thing
  21. rest — what's left
  22. suit — clothes
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wax — in the ear

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