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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: kid · rest · hide · saw · rock · jam · wax · object

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — an aim
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rock — music
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — to grow
  22. object — a thing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — to protest

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