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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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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 · content · object · arm · fork · wind · rush · bank

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. wax — to grow
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — an aim
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. content — the amount
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. content — happy
  23. object — a thing
  24. wax — for sculpting

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