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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: land · rest · nail · swing · rule · wax · wake · stick

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rest — a break
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rule — a law
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. rule — government
  22. land — a country
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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