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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pass — a permit
  9. squash — to crush
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. tear — to rip

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