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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · wax · perch · suit · band · object · last · rest

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. object — a thing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. suit — clothes
  12. last — to go on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. perch — the fish
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — to protest
  18. mug — a face
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rest — a break
  22. wax — to grow
  23. object — an aim
  24. last — finally

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