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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: arm · staff · suit · last · object · wax · sharp · track

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. suit — clothes
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a path
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. suit — to fit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. track — a song
  11. suit — in cards
  12. staff — a stick
  13. last — final
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. object — an aim
  16. staff — employees
  17. object — to protest
  18. sharp — clever
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — a thing
  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