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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fall — the season
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. 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