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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: stick · wave · rest · wax · pound · chest · mouse · track

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rest — a break
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. chest — a box
  10. track — a song
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. track — a path
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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