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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: rule · wax · plane · wound · bass · race · kid · ruler

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. kid — child
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. race — a contest
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. race — humankind
  23. rule — a law
  24. bass — the instrument

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