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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: suit · wax · stem · rest · tube · pound · arm · leaves

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — in cards
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pound — a weight
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — a break
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. tube — a container

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