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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: ball · mark · track · wax · ruler · sharp · band · bore

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. track — a song
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. track — to keep track
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a music group
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. band — a rubber band

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