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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: ruler · drill · foot · stock · wind · wax · racket · rest

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — a break
  3. stock — shares
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wind — moving air
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. drill — army training
  9. foot — a measure
  10. drill — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stock — goods
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. drill — a practice
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rest — what's left

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