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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 116 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: ruler · bark · wax · track · craft · patient · fine · squash

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wax — to grow
  3. squash — the sport
  4. track — a song
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. craft — boats
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fine — all right
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. track — a path
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. patient — a sick person

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