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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: squash · row · wax · stand · spell · arm · suit · last

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — to bear
  9. last — to go on
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. spell — a short time
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. row — a line
  15. wax — to grow
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — final
  24. wax — for sculpting

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