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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: wax · trunk · fine · bark · ruler · pound · roll · present

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — a gift
  7. fine — all right
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pound — a weight
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — high quality
  24. roll — a list

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