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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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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: fine · cold · ruler · stick · rock · bark · wax · chair

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. wax — to grow
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cold — not warm
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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