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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: fine · straw · rock · root · net · wind · wax · ruler

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. net — for catching
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. net — in sport
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. root — the cause
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. net — after costs
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rock — music
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wax — to grow
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ruler — for measuring

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