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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.

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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: field · track · wax · bark · ruler · snap · lean · bank

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lean — thin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. track — a path
  9. bank — for money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — to shout
  12. field — farmland
  13. bank — of a river
  14. track — to keep track
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. field — a subject
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — for money

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