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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: bass · last · ruler · land · rule · wax · bark · mark

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. land — a country
  3. last — finally
  4. mark — a grade
  5. land — ground
  6. last — to go on
  7. land — to come down
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — final
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — low music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — a law
  24. bass — the instrument

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