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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · rest · prune · game · nail · land · wax · mark

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — a match
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a grade
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rest — what's left
  19. land — to come down
  20. wax — to grow
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wax — for sculpting

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