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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. field — a subject
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tear — to rip
  8. field — for sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. land — a country
  13. field — farmland
  14. wax — to grow
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. land — to come down
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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