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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: swing · cap · wax · ruler · rush · trunk · bark · fan

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. swing — music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. swing — in golf
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a hat

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