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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: safe · temple · ruler · bark · bound · swing · wax · rest

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bound — certain
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bound — tied together
  13. swing — to play on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. swing — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rest — a break
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — a monarch

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