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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: firm · arm · face · rule · wax · stick · sharp · track

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. firm — steady
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. face — to confront
  10. rule — government
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a song
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rule — a law
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. firm — decided
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. firm — a company

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