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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · wax · mine · fine · rush · rule · bark · safe

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rule — government
  4. bark — to shout
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fine — all right
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rule — a law
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — high quality

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