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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.

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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. row — a line
  8. bark — to shout
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — to grow
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. nail — for a hammer

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