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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: ruler · wax · race · branch · chair · object · bulb · bark

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — a contest
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. object — an aim
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — a division
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bark — to shout
  20. race — humankind
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. race — the arms race
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. chair — to sit on

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