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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.

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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: ruler · press · chest · wax · land · rock · wave · arm

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — to push
  10. land — a country
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. land — to come down
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. chest — a box
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — a monarch

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