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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 · sharp · ball · bear · land · wax · arm · straw

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. land — ground
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ball — a dance
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. arm — part of the body

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