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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.

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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: wax · row · ruler · wound · pass · wake · safe · march

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wound — an injury
  8. march — music
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — a line
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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