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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 120 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: lash · nail · rest · wax · arm · rule · object · field

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. field — farmland
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. object — a thing
  18. field — a subject
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rest — what's left
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wax — in the ear

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