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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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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: ruler · bark · cold · nail · firm · wax · kid · straw

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cold — not warm
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. firm — decided
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. kid — child
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. firm — steady
  21. cold — an illness
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. firm — a company
  24. straw — dry grass

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