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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lean — thin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. deal — to handle
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. scale — in music
  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