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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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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: stand · arm · firm · spell · wave · wax · stick · chest

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chest — a box
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. firm — a company
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — decided
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spell — magic
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. firm — steady
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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