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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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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: wax · ruler · hand · branch · lean · fine · chair · bulb

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lean — thin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. hand — in cards
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — help
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — all right

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