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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: object · arm · last · rule · wax · mark · pit · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rule — a law
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. object — an aim
  6. pit — a hole
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rule — government
  9. object — a thing
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. object — to protest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pit — in a race
  18. last — finally
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. last — final
  21. wax — to grow
  22. last — to go on
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mark — a grade

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