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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: wax · rock · chair · arm · leaves · pass · rest · chest

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rest — a break
  9. chair — a leader
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chest — a box
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rock — music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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