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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — a trail
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — to grow
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mark — a grade
  24. craft — a skill

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