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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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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 · rush · branch · bank · scale · wave · hand · wax

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bank — of a river
  12. branch — a division
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rush — a thrill

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