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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · perch · wave · ruler · game · mark · last · bound

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. last — final
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. game — a match
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — obliged
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mark — a trace
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — certain

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