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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: bound · deal · firm · arm · chest · wax · rest · fall

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bound — certain
  4. fall — the season
  5. firm — steady
  6. wax — to grow
  7. deal — to handle
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rest — a break
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chest — a box
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. deal — an agreement

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