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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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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: wax · mine · rule · suit · pitcher · stick · wave · wind

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rule — government
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rule — a law
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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