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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: wind · arm · wax · bark · press · ruler

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. press — to push
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — to grow
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — to shout
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air

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