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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: wound · leaves · arm · content · can · fan · wax · rule

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. can — a tin
  15. rule — a law
  16. content — happy
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wound — an injury
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. fan — a supporter

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