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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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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: march · land · trunk · ruler · content · wax · bound · mark

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. land — to come down
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bound — tied together
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. land — a country
  15. content — the amount
  16. bound — obliged
  17. march — music
  18. bound — certain
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — to grow
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. land — ground
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. content — happy

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