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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.

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 · pass · mine · lean · wax · rash · leaves · ball

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ball — a great time

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