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

Word bank: rest · rule · wax · swing · toast · present

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — a law
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. present — there
  7. swing — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. present — a gift
  11. toast — bread
  12. rule — government
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. present — the time now
  17. rest — a break
  18. wax — to grow

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