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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · wake · wax · dip · rock · chair · clip · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. object — a thing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rule — a law
  13. rock — music
  14. rule — government
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. object — to protest
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chair — a leader
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wake — a trail

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