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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: ruler · lean · file · wave · rock · wax · wind · kick

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. file — a tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. file — a document
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — thin
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kick — with a leg

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