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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · season · object · pitch · band · rush · arm · wax

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — in sport
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. object — a thing
  10. band — a ring
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitch — completely
  13. band — a music group
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. object — to protest
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitch — a sports field

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