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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 120 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: race · ruler · hand · mug · wax · firm · branch · net

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — steady
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hand — in cards
  7. firm — decided
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — a company
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mug — a face
  14. hand — help
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — for catching
  22. race — humankind
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — a contest

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