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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: rest · fork · chest · wave · squash · stand · wax · bulb

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chest — a box
  24. stand — to bear

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