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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: pass · wind · cabinet · saw · stick · arm · wax · rock

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wax — to grow
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — in the ear

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