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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. object — to protest
  4. rule — a law
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to drill
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rule — government
  11. object — an aim
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. object — a thing
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. swing — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bore — to tire
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. swing — to play on
  24. march — the month

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