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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: rush · rash · wax · arm · object · bear · stand · fine

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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