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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.

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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — to breed
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hand — help
  16. snap — to click
  17. foot — a measure
  18. object — an aim
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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