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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: staff · toast · arm · cell · wax · stick · wind · mine

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. toast — bread
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. staff — employees
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wind — moving air
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. toast — the most admired

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