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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · date · wax · rush · rest · ruler · game · hand

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — help
  8. game — a match
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rush — a thrill

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