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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ball — a dance
  6. game — wild animals
  7. firm — steady
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. game — a match
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. firm — a company

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