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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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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 · ruler · sharp · root · bay · snap · track · march

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. track — a song
  3. march — the month
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wax — to grow
  10. sharp — clever
  11. track — a path
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. root — of a word

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