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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — music
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. roll — a list
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — soda
  11. date — the fruit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lean — to bend

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