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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: rash · wave · kick · chair · wax · pass · bound · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fall — the season
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. kick — in football
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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