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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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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: wake · wax · rule · court · wound · ruler · bat · toast

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. court — of a king
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — government
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rule — a law
  11. toast — bread
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — for sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wax — for sculpting

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