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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cue — a signal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. court — of a king
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — a hint
  11. court — for sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. kid — child
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cue — for pool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. court — of law
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ruler — a monarch

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