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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: rule · rush · wax · lean · game · track · object · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lean — to bend
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rule — government
  10. game — a match
  11. rule — a law
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. object — a thing
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. track — a path
  16. object — to protest
  17. rest — a break
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lean — to rest against

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