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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: suit · lean · staff · roll · tear · wind · ball · wax

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lean — thin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. roll — a list
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — to bend
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. staff — employees
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — to grow

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