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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.

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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: rush · ruler · bear · pitcher · wax · stem · row · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. row — a line
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rush — hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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