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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · wax · pop · can · pit · rock · wind · rest

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rock — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pop — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — a break
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pop — soda
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wax — to grow
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — to be able to

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