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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: chest · ruler · wax · bank · drill · ground · squash · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. drill — army training
  20. bulb — for light
  21. squash — the sport
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — to crush

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