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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fall — the season
  10. capital — money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fall — to drop
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lie — to recline
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. capital — a city
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — a trace
  24. racket — for tennis

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