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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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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: rock · bark · net · row · rush · ball · wax · ruler

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. net — for catching
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. row — a line
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. row — to paddle
  22. net — in sport
  23. rock — music
  24. rush — hurry

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