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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: snap · fan · last · ruler · wax · trunk · wound · bound

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — obliged
  21. last — final
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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