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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: band · bulb · bay · row · content · wax · ruler · land

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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 — in the ear
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — the amount
  4. band — a ring
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. land — to come down
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. row — a line
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. row — to paddle
  18. band — a music group
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  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