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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 116 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 · bank · row · rash · rest · suit

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — hasty
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bank — for money
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rest — a break
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. row — a line
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — a series
  17. suit — to fit
  18. row — to paddle

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