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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: wax · march · craft · rest · mate · ruler · staff · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — a break
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. staff — employees
  13. craft — a skill
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — boats
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — a company
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. march — music

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