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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: spell · wax · bark · ruler · date · ground · bore · current

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. current — happening now
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — electric
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ground — a position
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — the earth
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. current — of water

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