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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · spring · stock · race · lean · coach · wave · wax

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — shares
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lean — thin
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. race — a contest
  16. spring — of water
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spring — the season
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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