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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wake — a trail
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rest — a break
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — certain
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. coach — a trainer

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