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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: rule · wax · root · wind · bear · cue · wave · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — a signal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rule — government
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rule — a law
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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