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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — a break
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chip — to eat
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wax — to grow
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — for betting
  16. kid — child
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to confront
  23. chip — in a computer
  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