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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: stick · date · rule · wax · bank · wound · wind · last

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rule — government
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wound — an injury
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. last — to go on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. last — final
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — finally
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — a law
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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