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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: row · rock · rule · hide · bass · wake · wax · ruler

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rule — a law
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bass — low music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. row — a line
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rule — government
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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