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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: stick · wave · rest · wax · pound · chest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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