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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · mine · rule · wax · fine · game

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rule — a law
  5. fine — all right
  6. rule — government
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. game — a kind of play

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