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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — for digging
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — for sculpting

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