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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — for weighing

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