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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: wax · net · row · firm · last · ruler · race · date

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — a company
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. race — the arms race
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. last — finally
  10. net — after costs
  11. race — humankind
  12. row — a line
  13. firm — decided
  14. wax — to grow
  15. last — final
  16. race — a contest
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. net — in sport
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — to go on
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. firm — steady

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