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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. club — a group
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. club — for dancing
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cap — a hat
  12. club — for golf
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — to grow
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — an agreement

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