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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
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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: bark · fan · wax · leaves · ball · ruler · tube · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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