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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: object · wax · march · rest · rule · lean · toast · swing

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rest — a break
  7. lean — thin
  8. object — a thing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. object — an aim
  11. rule — a law
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. march — the month
  14. swing — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rule — government
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. march — music
  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