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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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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 · face · bark · swing · bank · lean · wax · wind

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — to point toward
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — music
  22. face — to confront
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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