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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: arm · bulb · snap · wind · rock · suit · ruler · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. suit — in cards
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rock — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. suit — clothes
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — to fit

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