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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: key · saw · wound · nail · ruler · fall · bark · wax

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fall — to drop
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wax — to grow
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fall — the season
  17. bark — to shout
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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