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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: wind · ruler · rush · track · clip · wax · nail · bass

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a song
  5. bass — low music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. clip — a video
  9. track — a path
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bass — the fish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wind — moving air

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