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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: wax · arm · net · face · ruler · bark · pop · tube

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — music
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tube — a container
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pop — soda

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