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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: safe · vault · wax · land · suit · lean · rule · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wax — to grow
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. land — a country
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lean — to bend
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — in cards
  13. land — ground
  14. lean — thin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rule — government
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rule — a law
  24. safe — a strongbox

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