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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 116 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: rule · ball · wax · hand · fan · swing · rest · mark

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. swing — music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. swing — in golf
  16. hand — help
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rest — a break
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — to cool the air

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