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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: straw · wax · saw · leaves · bark · ruler · mate · firm

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. firm — steady
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. firm — decided
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mate — to breed
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — a partner

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