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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: march · wax · rest · bear · spring · current · ruler · bowl

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. march — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. current — happening now
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. march — the month
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. spring — of water
  17. rest — a break
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. current — electric
  20. march — the month
  21. spring — the season
  22. current — of water
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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