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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: bound · wax · object · lean · band · rule · trunk · arm

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. lean — thin
  7. object — a thing
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rule — a law
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. object — to protest
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bound — obliged
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. object — an aim
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. band — a music group
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. band — a ring
  24. bound — certain

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