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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rush — hurry
  9. foot — a measure
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. net — for catching
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. net — after costs
  19. fall — the season
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. nail — for a hammer

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