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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — part of the head
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. face — to confront
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. face — to point toward
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rest — a break
  24. ruler — for measuring

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