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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mark · arm · suit · staff · wax · mine · content · pass

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. suit — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — a trace
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — a permit
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. content — happy
  24. arm — a part of something

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