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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: bear · prune · wound · bass · ruler · wax · rush · bay

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bass — low music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — the animal
  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